Apple released its new MacBook Air on Monday, touting the updated device as being twice as fast as previous generations.
The ‘world’s most popular laptop’ starts at $1,099 and features the tech giant’s new M3 chip released in 2023.
The upgraded chip increases speeds up to 60 percent faster than its M1 predecessor and makes it 13 times quicker than the Intel-based MacBook Air, Apple has claimed.
The 13- and $1,299 15-inch screen options are currently available for pre-order starting today and deliveries are set for Friday, March 8, the company announced.
Pre-orders for the M3 MacBook Air, available in 15- and 13-inch, are available on March 4 for pre-order and consumers can expect their order to arrive on March 8
The new MacBook Air model allows users to operate two displays while the laptop is closed
‘MacBook Air is our most popular and loved Mac, with more customers choosing it over any other laptop. And today it gets even better with the M3 chip and new capabilities,’ said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing.
The new laptop is replacing Apple’s M1 model, which was discontinued as quietly as the M3 model was introduced – mimicking an ‘out with the old, in with the new mentality.’
‘The world’s most popular laptop is better than ever with even more performance, faster Wi-Fi, and support for up to two external displays — all in its strikingly thin and light design with up to 18 hours of battery life,’ Apple shared in the announcement.
Gartner, a provider of research and consulting services for the IT sector, showed in 2023 that Apple sold 6.3 million Macs worldwide in the fourth quarter compared to 5.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2022.
In the US, 2.7 million Macs were sold in the fourth quarter of last year, compared 2.3 million in the same period of 2022.
Apple introduced the M3 chip in October, which features ‘a next-generation GPU that represents the biggest leap forward in graphics architecture ever for Apple silicon,’ the tech giant shared in last year’s announcement.
The MacBook Air has a Neural Engine processor that allows users to access machine learning models quickly
The chip allows for the laptop to configure at speeds that are up to 2.5 times faster than the M1 and increases the rate at which the device accomplishes tasks by up to 50 percent – and the latest MacBook Air is the first to receive the new chip.
The new laptop is designed to withstand long usage times ‘so you can leave the power adapter at home,’ the company said.
Apple has also added artificial intelligence software from its Neural Engine to ‘enhance productivity and creativity’ with more powerful camera features and real-time speech-to-text.
The Neural Engine is a processor that makes machine learning models respond quickly and accelerate algorithms.
Apple claimed the M3 MacBook Air ‘continues to be the world’s best consumer laptop for AI,’ the company said, and will offer AI-based apps including Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365, Canva, and Adobe Firefly.
It will also work better with the iPhone, allowing users to AirDrop photos, documents, and more from nearby Apple Devices, and copy images, video, or text from an app on one Apple device to the M3 MacBook Air.
The new chip also lets users experience enhanced voice clarity for audio and video calls, Voice Isolation and an immersive sound system for Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos that provides three-dimensional sound for music and movies.
‘From college students pursuing their degrees to business users who need powerful productivity or anyone who simply wants the unmatched combination of performance, portability, and industry-leading battery life, all in a fanless design, the new MacBook Air continues to be the world’s best thin and light laptop,’ said Joswiak.
MacBook Air has a better sound system for video games, movies, and video calls
The new laptop is replacing Apple’s M1 mode l, which was discontinued as quietly as the M3 model was introduced – mimicking an ‘out with the old, in with the new mentality’
The company claimed that the laptop will also be more environmentally friendly – made with 50 percent recycled content, fully recycled aluminum, and copper for the enclosure and main logic board.
The M3 Macbook Air’s packaging is almost fully fiber-based, Apple said, which brings the company ‘closer to its goal to remove plastic from all packaging by 2025.
Apple said its goal is to be carbon neutral for its global operations including its manufacturing supply chain and the lifecycle of all of its products by 2030.
The laptop includes AI-based apps including Microsoft Copilot for Microsoft 365, Canva, and Adobe Firefly
Speculation surfaced in December that Apple would be releasing its M3 model in the Spring of 2024 and getting rid of its original M1 model, Bloomberg reported at the time.
The company has reportedly now discontinued its M1 MacBook, according to The Verge, which said the M3 has officially replaced the older model which was introduced in 2020.
The new M3 laptop comes as Apple has reportedly seen a decline in Mac and iPad sales, with the pair accounting for only 15 percent of the company’s revenue.
Mac sales dropped by 34 percent in the third quarter of last year, while its iPad revenue dropped by 10 percent.
